Berea resident shares how an ultrasound saved her life
Ingham, who is a member of Reach for Recovery, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in November 2019.
AS breast cancer awareness is driven by the Pinktober campaign this month, Berea resident and breast cancer survivor, Denise Ingham tells the Berea Mail how her annual mammogram and subsequent ultra sound saved her life.
“It was just a routine mammogram that turned into something more. I am all for going for that mammogram. I could easily have said, ‘I am busy and can’t get back in time for my mammogram’. I think it’s important to have a routine mammogram every year as it is usually enough to see any changes in the breast,” she said.
Ingham, who is a member of Reach for Recovery, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in November 2019.
“I went for my yearly mammogram. I always have an ultrasound as well because of a dense breast. On the ultrasound they saw a little black speck and decided to do a biopsy,” she said.
Also read: Think pink this Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Ingham underwent hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for several years prior to her diagnosis.
“I had a mammogram in November and I went back the following November. Within a year it was already stage 3 cancer. Bearing in mind, I was taking a hormone replacement. My cancer was HRT related,” she said.
“With modern machines, the mammogram isn’t painful anymore. The machine swings around the breast. There is some pressure, but no pain,” she added.
Her surgeon recommended a lumpectomy.
“My doctor phoned me three days after the surgery and said he didn’t get clear margins. He recommended I remove the breast,” she explained.
Also read: Childhood cancer: Find support for you and your child
After her mastectomy, Ingham had to discontinue her hormone replacement.
“The withdrawal and these hot flushes every 20 minutes was awful, but we all go through it,” she said. “I don’t drink or smoke and I have always led a healthy life. I always ate properly. I couldn’t understand how I got cancer, but my doctor explained that the hormone replacement led to a cell change. He advised me to continue with a healthy lifestyle and to eat clean,” she said.
A positive mindset was vital to her recovery, said Ingham.
“Within three weeks, I was back at work. Try to get back to normality as quickly as possible, so you don’t feel abnormal. Just get straight back on the horse and keep going. I think that was the secret for me, to not falling apart. I am a very positive person,” she said. “It’s changed me in a way where I love every day. I think I appreciate every day. Cancer is not a death sentence like it used to be.”
For more information about Reach for Recovery, email Jenny Caldwell at jennyc.rfr@mweb.co.za.
